Mr. Speaker, Canadians have said that they want the federal government to have a real role, particularly in the sixth principle of accountability.
One thing that is very important is the billing and information technology system across the country. With the justice system, when a person is arrested the person's file can be pulled up to see if there have been any arrests anywhere in the country. It seems unfortunate that when a person is having crushing pain or a heart attack that we cannot pull up the file across the country.
When the railroad was built across the country, each province was not allowed to build it in a different gauge. We should not allow different language in the health informatics across the country because we cannot compare the outcomes and we cannot give optimal care to the people who need it. Whether they are in Hull or in Ottawa, if they are in trouble their health records need to be available. It is extraordinarily important.
Canadians get it. It was very clear to Judith Maxwell in those deliberative democracy exercises that Canadians understand that they want a real system, not a patchwork quilt of non-systems. There are many other areas in which the government must help. There is a role for government in the measurement of the outcomes and in the prevention and health promotion areas.
In fact the Canadian government is the fifth biggest direct provider of health care. If we look at the aboriginals, our military, correctional services and our veterans, it is bigger than six of the provinces. It is very important that they come together in a neutral space, the health council of Canada. It is important that they share their problems, share best practices and that everybody comes together with real accountability, just like in the social union framework agreement.
It is imperative that all levels of government report to Canadians on the performance of the system. This is not big brother checking on little brother. We have to be accountable to Canadians as the federal government. That is what Canadians have said. That is what 59% of Quebeckers have said